Hanae Mori, affectionately known as Madame Butterfly, was a distinguished Japanese fashion designer. She opened a dressmaking shop in Shinjuku in 1951 and gained success at the New York Collection in 1965, where her work was praised as West meets East. As the first Japanese designer admitted to the Paris Haute Couture Association, she established a globally renowned brand. Her contributions continue to be highly esteemed today
Hanae Mori is a distinguished Japanese fashion designer affectionately known as Madam Butterfly. She was born and raised in Muikaichi, Shimane, and relocated to Tokyo at the age of ten. In 1948, she wed Ken Mori, who managed a fibre company. While assisting with her husband’s family enterprise, she pursued dressmaking studies at a school.
In 1951, she inaugurated a dressmaking shop named Hiyoshiya in Shinjuku. One day, she received a commission from the wife of a US Army captain and was utterly captivated by the exquisite garment. The dress was three-dimensional and rounded, starkly contrasting to the flat, kimono-inspired Japanese attire she was accustomed to. This cultural revelation spurred her to innovate beyond traditional Japanese dresses and create her own original garments.
In 1954, she established her boutique, Hanae Mori, in Ginza, one of Japan’s premier locations. Her boutique garnered such acclaim that she began receiving requests to design costumes for films. However, she grew disillusioned with the Japanese fashion industry’s predisposition to idolise Western designers, failing to recognise her talent duly.
This disheartenment propelled her to shift her operations overseas. At the New York collection in 1965, Hanae’s elegant dresses, adorned with butterfly motifs, were so mesmerising that she earned the moniker Madam Butterfly. Her childhood memories inspired the butterfly motif, and the triumph of the New York collection led to enquiries from prestigious department stores such as Bergdorf Goodman and Neiman Marcus. Her work was described as West meets East.
The success of the New York collection paved the way for her debut in the Paris fashion show, where her designs captivated Parisians. This expansion established Hanae Mori as a top garment brand in Japan and globally. Furthermore, her logo licensing venture significantly bolstered the company’s revenue, reaching up to 10 billion yen. In 1977, she became the first Asian designer to be admitted to the Paris Haute Couture Association.
Her business prospered until the end of the 20th century, but in 2002, Hanae Mori’s company encountered managerial difficulties and sought protection under the Civil Rehabilitation Law. The company was subsequently absorbed by Mitsui. On 7 July 2014, Hanae Mori retired from her role as a designer.
Hanae Mori passed away on 11 August 2022 at the age of 96. Her contributions to the fashion world were so significant that The New York Times published a special obituary in her honour, highlighting her achievements and mentioning her Shimane Prefecture origins.